Erika Gibson: Candidate for Glenwood Springs City Council At Large

I grew up in Denver, attended school at Columbia University and Oregon Law, and moved to Glenwood Springs as a water attorney in 2015. The appeal of Glenwood’s scenic beauty was obvious, but it was the diverse and welcoming community that hooked me.

In Glenwood, people in diverse lines of work, students, families, river folk, and trail warriors have all readily come together to make this mountain town such a vibrant place in which to live, work and play. I am here to stay.

After graduating college with a degree in political science, I worked on salmon-habitat restoration projects in Washington state, small-scale farming operations in New Zealand, and waitressed all the while to support these pursuits.

I have interned at the U.S. Departments of Justice and Interior and worked for state and U.S. senators on both sides of the aisle. I also worked for three years at the Colorado Energy Office where I helped connect rural and mountain towns with the funds and resources needed to adapt to a rapidly changing energy economy.

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As a single-income earner, who shares an apartment, and is looking forward to several more years of paying student debt, I can recognize and understand the challenges many people confront trying to make ends meet in Glenwood. I’m also aware that the city has significant resources, both human and economic, that are available to address many issues facing our community. I serve on the River Commission and know what Glenwood has accomplished in this realm, and how much more it is poised to achieve.

While City Council candidates and members may agree on many issues, like the need to fix our roads and the value of tourism, we may view priority projects through different lenses. I believe we need to leverage available resources and keep the bigger picture in mind with our policies. We need to make smart land-use decisions that enhance the quality of life for our citizens and preserve the character of our community; this includes layered policy choices to keep the community thriving yet affordable.

We need to act on economic energy opportunities that are afforded to us through owning our own municipal utility. And, we must protect the health of our rivers.

In crafting and implementing sound policy, effective governance requires taking into account all affected interests. A good council member makes sure all interested parties have a seat at the table, actively listens to everyone’s input, and strives to find ways that the core needs of all those competing interests can be made compatible.

I have heard many perspectives these past few weeks, and I am looking forward to hearing many more.

If I do not see you out on the campaign trail, please join me at the Riviera from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. every Tuesday leading up to the election, or call/text me at (970) 279-3413. I’d be very interested in hearing what is on your mind.

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